My first Civil War era ball gown, and what a monster I chose to make! Anyone who knows me knows that my personal bible is this book:
Perusing it, I found a dress I absolutely fell in love with:
Technically too late (it’s from 1866), I rounded out the skirt rather than having it train in the back, and got to work. Yards and yards of sheer/satin striped fabric later, I was cursing myself for tackling something so difficult for my first try! I even did the ruffle on the bias, just like the period gown.
Even after all the grumbling, the dress turned out pretty well. I haven’t made a new 1860’s evening dress in several years (this is from 2004), but this year I finally get one! Stay tuned for the new ball gown, coming soon!
